Quality Pre-Kindergarten Services

CONTINUATION APPLICATION

for PHL PreK

(Quality Pre-Kindergarten Services)

Issued by:

Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC)

on behalf of the

City of Philadelphia Mayor’s Office of Education

All proposals must be submitted via Reviewr, a web-based application, a link to which will be included in future communications regarding the Continuation Application.

Proposals, including all supporting documentation, must be submitted via Reviewr no later than 5:00 p.m. Philadelphia, PA, local time,

on Wednesday, May 3, 2017

MandatoryPre-Application Conferences

Applicants MUST attend one Pre-Application Conference either in person

or via simultaneous web-based session

Thursday, April 13, 2017
PHMC
1500 Market Street
4-6pm
OR
Join Meeting via the simultaneous web session / Monday, April 17, 2017
PHMC
1500 Market Street
4-6pm
OR
Join Meeting via the simultaneous web session / Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Temple University Center City
1515 Market Street
1-3 pm
OR
Join Meeting via the simultaneous web session

Table of Contents

I.Overview of PHL PreK

A.Introduction

B.PHL PreK Management and Oversight

C.PHL PreK Service Overview

D.Priorities for PHL PreK in FY18

II.The Continuation Application Process

A.Eligibility

B.Mandatory Pre-Application Conference

C.Application Submission

D.Selection Criteria

III.Proposal Administration

Questions Relating to the Continuation Application
Interviews, Presentations and Additional Written Info
Term of Contract
Revisions to the Continuation Application
Timetable

IV.Service and Performance Expectations of PHL PreK Providers

V.Continuation Application Data Sheet

VI.Continuation Application Narrative Questions

I. Overview of PHL PreK

A.Introduction

Research demonstrates that young children that have access to high quality, developmentally appropriate preschool experiences enter kindergarten ready to learn and succeed in school and beyond. Philadelphia Mayor, the Honorable James Kenney, made expanding high quality prekindergarten services the cornerstone of his administration, understanding that early learning services prepare our future workforce while providing essential childcare support to hard working Philadelphians. Beginning in January 2017, the City funded 2,000 children to participate in PHL PreK[1]programs, ensuring children received developmentallyappropriate curriculum and instruction, comprehensive health and developmental screening, improved family and caregiver engagement, and support for kindergarten transition. The City of Philadelphia has a vision to provide access to quality programming to 6,500 children by 2020-2021 and to develop an integrated system of universally accessible early learning services for Philadelphia families.

In the first months of the program more than 1,850 young children and their families have accessed services, over 275 new teaching and administrative jobs have been created to support this initiative and caregivers report that they are able to seek new or expanded employment opportunities as a result of having PHLpreK.

In the year ahead, the City of Philadelphia seeks to enhance the quality of PHL PreK services and further develop the groundwork necessary to continue to expand this program. The City of Philadelphia prides itself on its diversity and strives to have that diversity reflected in the business community and the workforce of the city. PHL PreK not only supports pre-kindergarten programming for children but it also serves as a growth opportunity for businesses, large and small, and diverse in nature. For this reason, early learning programs of all types and sizes are encouraged to apply to become part of this program.

We appreciate the stakeholders and providers who provided input into the development of this Continuation Application and overall policy of the PHL PreK program.

B.PHL PreK Management and Oversight

Key Partners

The Mayor’s Office of Education (MOE) is working with public and private partners to realize Mayor Kenney’s education goals including the implementation of PHL PreK. MOE plays an ongoing role in overseeing the intermediary and insuring successful implementation of PHL PreK. MOE, in coordination with the Advisory Board, sets policy for the initiative. MOE also provides City-wide recruitment supports to all providers and marketing to the initiative.

PHL PreKAdvisory Board is comprised of16 community representatives appointed by the Mayor and City Council to support PHL PreK governance and decision making. The Board will make recommendations to the Mayor and City Council on program modifications, adjustments and improvements. The Advisory Board will assess impact and outcomes data and ensure the program meets determined goals.

Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC), in partnership with Urban Affairs Coalition (UAC), operates the PHL PreK Intermediary on behalf of the City. The Intermediary assures that provider contracts are executed, invoices are paid in a timely manner, programs are monitored for fiscal and program compliance, child enrollments are verified, program support is coordinated and data infrastructure for the PHL PreK initiative in maintained. Additionally, PHMC contracts directly with Quality Providers (STAR 3 and 4) and UAC contracts directly with Growth Providers (providers progressing toward STAR 3 and 4).

This Continuation Application is released by PHMC on behalf of the City. Contracts resulting from the Continuation Application will be between the awarded entity and PHMC.

C.PHL PreK Service Overview

Public Health Management Corporation (“PHMC”), on behalf of The City of Philadelphia (“City”), intends to fund 2,000 quality Pre-Kindergarten slots in September 2017 and additional slots, pending the resolution of the legal challenge to the Philadelphia Beverage Tax.

Grant awards of $8,500 per child are available to eligible Applicants to provide a minimum of 5.5 hours of instructional time per school day for 180 days in school year 2017-2018. This does not include time for children’s arrival and departure each day. Providers are encouraged to combine PHL PreK funding with Child Care Works (a.k.a. Child Care Subsidy) to provide eligible children with wrap-around and summer care. Providers may not charge fees or establish material requirements for participation in PHL PreK funded hours of programming. Providers may charge for wrap-around and summer care, unless prohibited by other program regulations.

This Pre-K program is open to all three and four year-old children who live in the City of Philadelphia. The focus is to encourage enrollment among children in neighborhoods with high poverty, a large presence of young children at risk for poor health and educational outcomes, and a shortage of quality early learning opportunities. Enrollment is also encouraged for children from families experiencing homelessness, English Language Learners and children with special needs. Detailed program deliverables and provider performance expectations are outlined herein.

This Continuation Application (“CAP”) is for all sites that were contracted in the PHL PreK program in FY17. All current sites are expected to submit a Continuation Application in order to receive ongoing funding. If your site does not wish to participate in PHL PreK in the upcoming school year, you must notify us at . New sites wishing to become part of PHL PreK will go through a separate Request for Qualification Process (“RFQ”). Current PHL PreK providers who wish to apply for site locations that were not part of the program in FY17 will have to complete both processes – the Continuation Application for all current site locations contracted with PHL PreK and the Request for Qualification process for the new sites applying to join the program.

This Continuation Application process is designed to determine continued participation in the PHL PreK program and appropriate distribution of slots. Only Applicants to this CAP and the RFQ Applicants will be eligible to contract with PHMC (or its designee) and receive City funds for Pre-K expansion during Fiscal Year 2018. It is anticipated that PHMC will issue RFQs for program expansion in futureyears. Funding for all expansions and any renewals is contingent upon the availability of appropriations.

D.Priorities for PHL PreK in FY18

In addition to ensuring the program goals outlined here, there will be focus and attention to the following areas in PHL PreK for the upcoming year:

Access to the highest quality services that will prepare them for kindergarten
Alignment with and leveraging of other early learning initiatives
Serving high need areas and special populations
Improving nutrition and physical activity
Expanding access to families that are unserved or underserved in the early learning system
Accountability and data-driven decision making
Equity and good stewardship

Each of these is described in more detail below.

Access to the highest quality services that will prepare them for kindergarten - Ensuring all children participating in PHL PreK are receiving the highest quality services is critical to the impact of PHL PreK. Providers are expected to demonstrate and maintain quality via program assessments and data reporting requirements. PHL PreK will monitor Growth Providers to ensure they are progressing toward STAR 3. Efforts are underway to develop quality improvement supports for providers.

Alignment with and leveraging of other early learning initiatives - Recognizing that PHL PreK exists in a landscape of early learning programs, alignment with other early learning efforts is essential for program success. The City is and will continue to actively pursue partnerships and agreements with state and federal initiatives to ensure alignment of standards and practices across these programs. We will seek the input and partnership of providers in adjusting to new mandates and changing expectations associated with the re-authorization of Child Care Development Block Grant, the re-visioning of Keystone STARS, and the development of Early Learning Resource Centers. We will also work with partners to ensure families are accessing state and federal funding streams.

Serving high need areas and special populations - While available to all eligible Philadelphians, additional efforts will be made to ensure PHL PreK slots are utilized in neighborhoods of high need and are serving families with multiple risk factors. Current efforts are underway to refine outreach efforts to identify and recruit vulnerable children and their families including those engaged in the child welfare system, those experiencing homelessness, new Americans and immigrants, dual language learners, and children with special medical, developmental or mental health needs.

The City will engage a group of stakeholders to inform policy and supports for children with developmental delays and those with mental health concerns. We envision a future policy that prohibits expulsion and suspension and will work with providers and others to develop that policy and the corresponding supports over the next few months.

Improving nutrition and physical activity - The Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s Chronic Disease Prevention Division has adapted the Comprehensive Nutrition Standards ( mandated by Executive Order 04-14, for ECE settings (“Philadelphia Nutrition Standards for Early Care and Education”). The standards improve nutrition and provide recommendations for physical play and screen time. In the upcoming year, we will pilot the implementation of priority Standards as we also develop monitoring methods and provider support.

Expanding access to families that are unserved or underserved in the early learning system - PHL PreK funding is intended to create new slots. The funding may not be used to replace seats currently funded through Early Head Start, Head Start, or Pre-K Counts.

Accountability and data-driven decision making - Data collection and accountability are a key area of focus for PHL PreK. In order to ensure that timely and accurate data is collected, Providers must develop systems of data entry and quality assurance, utilize appropriate technology, and seek support when needed to ensure the integrity of data. Providers participating in PHLpreK will be required to utilize the ChildWare system to enter PHL PreK program data.

Equity and good stewardship - The City is committed to ensuring all PHL PreK funds are used appropriately and in support of the stated program goals. No City funds may be used to support, subsidize or endorse religious activities. Eligibility for service to Philadelphia families is universally available and programs must meet the religious and cultural needs of enrolled families. PHL PreK may not discriminate against prospective employees or program participants based on their religious affiliation, ethnicity, country of origin, gender or sexual orientation.

II. The Continuation Application Process

A.Eligibility

B.Mandatory Pre-Application Conference

There will be mandatory pre-application conferences/web-based sessions for applicants to this Continuation Application as follows:

April 13, 2017 4pm-6pm at PHMC

1500 Market Street

April 17, 2017 4pm-6pm at PHMC

1500 Market Street

April 18, 20171-pm-3pm at Temple University Center City

1515 Market Street

It is recommended that you attend in person but each session will be presented in a web-based format simultaneously with the face-to-face session.

Complete Applications are due by May 3, 2017 at 5:00 p.m. local Philadelphia time. Details regarding the application submission process are noted below.

C.Application Submission

Explanation of the online application submission system

For this Continuation Application process, Applicants will apply through a web-based system called Reviewr. Much of the required information will be entered directly into Reviewr and other items will be submitted to the system via upload. A link to the site will be sent to all Providers with instructions on how to enter the system and complete the Continuation Application.

Items to be completed directly on the online system

The following items will be “fillable” forms built into the Reviewr platform

Application Data Sheet
Narrative Questions

Items to be uploaded into online system

Applicants will need to upload the following items into the Reviewr platform

Copy of valid Pennsylvania DHS (a.k.a. DPW) license or Department of Education License
Copy of NAEYC Accreditation Certificate, if applicable
Agency Organizational Chart
Current operating budget and two most recently completed Fiscal Year budgets
Audited Financial Statement for the most recently completed Fiscal Year
M/W/DS BE Certificate, if applicable

Items to be downloaded from the site, completed and uploaded back into the site

The following templates and forms will be posted on the Reveiwrplatform. Applicants will need to download the forms, complete and/or sign the forms and upload them back to the Reviewr platform.

Staff Qualifications Grid

Line item budget for slots requested(NOTE: There are two templates – one for center-based sites and one for family childcare homes. Complete the one that corresponds with your site type)[Center version] [FCCH version]
PHL PreK Data Responsibility Form
Diversity Report of Nonprofit Organizations (for Nonprofit Organizations only)
Tax and Regulatory Status Clearance Statement
Acknowledgement and Attestation Form

D.Selection Criteria

This Continuation Applicationis for a competitive bid for grants that will be awarded based on the criteria described below. The Applicant acknowledges that this Continuation Applicationis strictly for the purpose of gaining knowledge of services and expertise available and is not a commitment or promise of a service award from PHMC. If PHMC chooses to award a contract, it will be awarded to the Applicant whose proposal is the most advantageous to the City and in the City’s best interest.

Evaluation of this Continuation Applicationwill be based on written submission, performance in PHL PreK in FY 17, references, interviews and site visits, as needed. PHMC will base its selection on criteria that include, but are not limited to:

Ability or capacity to meet particular requirements of contract and needs of PHL PreK and those it serves
Prior experience of Applicant and staff
Ability to meet the needs of target neighborhoods and special populations. Click here for a map of target neighborhoods.
Demonstrates integrity and efficiency in business practices
Benefit of promoting long-term competitive development and allocation of experience to new or small businesses, including those owned by minority or disabled persons or by women
Ability to use funds with efficacy
Meets prequalification requirements

Valid Pennsylvania DHS License

Ability to show that the requirements and implications of the program are well-understood

Determination of awards will be provided to each applicant, at the discretion of the City and based on available funds.

Proposal Administration

Questions Relating to the Continuation Application

All questions concerning this Continuation Applicationmust be submitted in writing via email to no later than April 21, 2017 at 5:00 pm local Philadelphia time, and may not be considered if not received by then. PHMC, in collaboration with the City, will respond to questions it considers appropriate to the Continuation Applicationand of interest to all Applicants, but reserves the right, in its discretion, not to respond to any question. Responses will be posted April 25, 2017 on the PHL PreK website at Responses posted on the PHL PreK website become part of the Continuation Applicationupon posting. PHMC and the City reserve the right, in its discretion, to revise responses to questions after posting, by posting the modified response. No oral response to any Applicant question by any PHMC or City employee or agent shall be binding on the City or in any way considered to be a commitment by the City.